Non-hospitable policies in the hospitality industry: An analytical study in Malaysian hotels

T study addresses the government policies affecting Malaysian hotels at a time of rapid growth in the Malaysian tourism industry. Building on current debates on the quality and shortage of labour in the hospitality industry, this research explores the challenges faced by Malaysian hotels in attracting and retaining suitable human resource. The study is conducted from a constructivist ontological stance coupled with an interpretivist epistemology. A set of three semi-structured interviews, involving the Chief Executive Officer, HR professional and line manager, were conducted in five leading hotels. Three additional interviews were conducted to gain feedback from individuals with HR and/or hotel industry expertise. Data were analysed using a priori and data driven coding following King’s (2004) template analysis method. This research reveals challenges faced by Malaysian hotels from an industry and societal level. The challenges include government policies relating to English language, education policy, policies on labour, and changing attitudes towards work. Although this exploratory research may not be generalisable to all Malaysian hotels, its insights into Strategic Human Resource Management challenges may be transferable to other similar hotels and resorts. Discussion of the practical implications of the study’s results highlight the actions recommended as necessary for the three target audiences, namely, Hotel Managers (which include CEOs/General Managers, HR professionals and line managers), the Malaysian Association of Hotels, and the Government, to improve professional practice pertaining to strategic human resource management in Malaysian hotels.